HEARTS owner Vladimir Romanov has finally broken his silence on the crisis at his stricken club – to deny they have financial problems.

Romanov has kept a low profile since the Edinburgh club appealed to fans to help them pay a £450,000 tax bill that threatened to sink them.

But the 65-year-old tycoon, who has not been seen in Edinburgh for months, denied the club has serious problems when the Sunday Mail caught up with him near his palatial home in Kaunas, Lithuania.

And he also found time to insult our team waiting to question him, branding the “degenerate”.

Romanov sped through the security gates of his home at 8am on Friday in a long, black Mercedes.

When he spotted our news team, he slowed down, wound down his window and shouted: “What are you doing here, degenerate?” before driving off.

Later, he insisted: “Hearts don’t have any financial problems for eight years already. Only journalists spread false stories about that.

“Tell me the name of at least one football player who didn’t get his salary.

“Do you really think players would play football if they don’t get paid?

“It’s not your business whether I will go to Edinburgh to see the players and fans. Why should I tell you my personal plans?”

The comments are likely to infuriate first team players who have agreed to a wage deferral to help Hearts – and fans who have raised more than £500,000 to buy their club’s survival.

Vladimir Romanov leaves his Kaunas, Lithuania house

Romanov, who has a substantial stake in Lithuanian bank Ukio Bank, is also chairman of UBIG Investments – the majority stakeholder in Hearts and Lithuanian basketball club Zalgaris.

The businessman, who has previously won Lithuania’s Dancing With The Stars and tried to run for the presidency, flatly denied Hearts were in danger. And he refused to say if he would answer fans’ demands for him to come to Edinburgh.

Yesterday, Tynecastle was sold out for the match against St Mirren which Hearts officials had said could be the last ever.

Thousands of supporters have rallied round since the warning of the threat to the club’s survival – but Romanov has been nowhere to be seen.

It is believed he has only been at one game this season – the Europa Cup match against Liverpool at Anfield on August 30 which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Earlier this month, Hearts, who have debts of £24million, were issued with a winding-up order for failing to pay a £450,000 tax bill. Directors then asked fans to back a share issue to secure the club’s future.

HMRC have agreed to extend the deadline for payment until December 3 but the situation is still critical.

Yesterday, the club revealed fans had raised more than £500,000 in just over three weeks. And officials said the fund-raising effort had been crucial in persuading HMRC to extend their deadline.

Vladimir Romanov leaves his Kaunas, Lithuania house

A club spokesman said: “To have raised so much money through the share issue in such a short space of time demonstrates just how much this football club means to so many people.

“It is often said they can be a 12th man during games but they have proved a vitally important player off the pitch as well.

Their continued support is crucial as we attempt to move towards a more stable financial future and our focus will remain on the share issue, which runs until December 19.

“This has been a great start to the scheme but it is imperative the supporters don’t take anything for granted as there is still a lot of hard work ahead.”

Romanov has already rejected an offer by the Foundation of Hearts fans’ group, led by businessman Alex Mackie, to pay the tax bill of £450,000 in return for control of the club.

Mackie reacted angrily to Romanov’s denials that there were any problems yesterday.

He said: “This is fairly typical of the current owners – they shoot themselves in the foot. With comments like this, they degrade the image of the club. ”

A separate bid for Hearts has been made by the controversial former Livingston owner Angelo Massone.

But Mackie has distanced his group from that bid and said that he wants to concentrate on a fan buy-out.

Meanwhile, manager John McGlynn says he is bracing himself for a New Year cost-cutting cull of players.